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Showing posts from 2009


Adoption, Medical History, & Feeling Helpless

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There are various instances that I as an adopted individual bumped into growing up that brought just a sting of a reminder about how I do not know my family medical history and am often in the dark with illnesses. When you have an emergency that "sting" turns into more of a gut-wrenching pain in the pit of your stomach. Throughout my life, I've literally taken a "shot in the dark" with chronic mild to severe allergic reactions--including ones that interfered with my ability to breathe, asthma, mysterious "masses" showing up on x-rays and heart palpitations to name a few. But then there are the emergencies..... I was 21 years old and had what I thought was an enlarged gland in my neck. I ignored it and it grew and grew. A nurse friend of mine was prodding it with her finger one day and she said "you know, if it's a swollen gland due to fighting a cold, this really should hurt. Since it doesn't, you ought to get it looked out." S

Maine Adoptee Rights: State Rep Farrington Overheard

I loved this quote from State Rep David Farrinton's floor remarks on LD 1084: "[denying birth certificate access] may be appropriate when dealing with children; but children, including adopted children, grow up.  Unfortunately, Main law treats adult adoptees as perpetual children and presumes that they cannot handle or cannot be trusted with information about their own origins." "The state cannot promise and has never promised perpetual anonymity to birth parents; if that were the case, an adoptee would have no right ever to intiate a search!  But of course, there is nothing illegal, unethical or unhealthy about an adoptee seeking out information about their orgins.  And the birth certificate itself has never been guaranteed to remain confidential." "No, every adoptee or birth parent will not find a fairytale ending,  But that is not our job as legislators .  LD 1084 simply seeks to provide treatment to Maine's adult adoptees and restore to all Ma

Will South Dakota Become an Open State?

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According to this news article:  http://www.ksfy.com/news/local/63480837.html , South Dakota state Rep. Eldon Nygaard, is planning to sponsor a bill favoring access (other than by court-order-only) to adoptees to their birth records. To my dismay, the article also states that another state Rep. Joni Cutler of Sioux Falls, is fine with the laws in their current state, despite the fact that she is an adoptee herself. PLEASE HELP THESE ADOPTEES AND TRIAD MEMBERS BE HEARD!! What you can do:  check out SEAL's Facebook Page . Contact Eldon Nygaard and give him some encouragement and support!  Let him know that nothing short of complete and open access is acceptable. Honorable Eldon Nygaard (State Representative -Democrat) Address 1419 E. Cherry Street Vermillion, SD 57069 Contact Rep. Joni Cutler and try to change her mind! Honorable Joni M. Culter (State Representative -Republican) Home Address (Apprenently mail is sent to the homes of legislators instead of sta

Government Secret: How to Access Your Original Birth Certificate and Adoption Records in Tennessee

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Those of you who have been following my blog will be happy to hear that I finally gained access to my sealed records. Few people realise how long, drawn-out and humiliating this process is and are shocked when I explain it. Since I finally have the records in my hands, I thought I would type out my entire process from start-to-finish so that people can see from my perspective what it is like to apply for sealed records from the state of Tennessee. Here are a few things I'd like for you to keep in mind. Two states never sealed records. Four additional states have unsealed their records and have open access. A few more states have some sort of access but allow original parents r to deny access or allow adoptees to see only censored records. The rest of the country allows adoptees access to their records by court order only (so you can imagine how hard it is to get anything at all in those states). I'd like to  also point out is that along with the adoption records being sea